This week’s prompt, provided by Charli Mills of Carrot Ranch fame, was to write a 99-word story (no more, no less) about a danger zone and to go where the prompt leads.
From the Carrot Ranch site: June 13, 2022, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a danger zone. It can be an exciting plot-driven story (think “story spine”) or a situation a character must confront. Play with different genres, and use craft elements like tension, tone, and pacing. Go where the prompt leads!
This pedometer geek writer didn’t quite know what to do with this prompt, but decided that not every danger zone is obvious and came up with the following:
A Danger Zone
Going to an upscale restaurant causes anxiety for me; however, it wasn’t always that way.
The first time it happened at a nice restaurant. One bite caused a reaction. A dose of epinephrine stopped it.
Once diagnosed, it was easy to avoid by asking if there were any pine nuts because of a life-threatening allergy.
Much later, it’s another restaurant, another bite, and then, anaphylaxis, a trip to the ER, and an overnight stay.
Eventually, even cross- contamination of utensils causes minor reactions.
Would another accidental bite be the one that caused death? Despite Epi-pens, it’s the Danger Zone.
~Nancy Brady, 2022
To read all the stories concocted by the Word Wranglers of Carrot Ranch, check out the blog at http://www.carrotranch.com on or after June 22 when the stories should be posted. #99wordstories